If Beacon Never Fell
by Winter Cheshire
Summary: If old man Ozpin was reunited with the student he tried to set free to the world, only to realize that she didn't want to leave in the first place. Marcelle Lune, aka Merci the Huntress of One Hundred Weapons, has returned to the school called Beacon Academy, and the headmaster that gave her a comfort she never thought she could have. (M for later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

Marcelle walked across the courtyard, glancing up at Beacon Tower with a smile. It had been almost 6 years since she'd been here… that clocktower was Ozpin's office. She wondered if he was in. She wandered past the students who all looked surprised and began talking amongst themselves. Who was this woman? A couple of whispers mentioned huntress and weapons, so she assumed they might notice eventually who she was. Marcelle was no longer wearing all black, though her outfit was still mostly that color. Black leggings and a sleeveless turtleneck, Ozpin's green scarf wrapped around her shoulders and covering them. She had black arm warmers on, as well as a green ring and black bracelet. She had gear-like attachments on her clothes as well as on her boots. She sighed, wondering if it would be odd to have modeled her new huntress uniform on Ozpin's favorite motif and colors, but she didn't really care. She liked the look, it made her smile. Her weapons were suspended on her belt, and she walked up to the tower, staring up at it. "You're early." She turned, smiling at the blonde teacher behind her.

"Glynda." She smiled. "You look lovely today."

"Marcelle, you're starting to sound like an old man." Glynda sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, I am old, Glynda. I guess Ozpin must have rubbed off?" She chuckled, walking with the teacher towards the elevator.

"He's out of the office at the moment…"

"I'll just sit and wait… he still has the books in the corner, right?"

"That he does." Glynda smiled, glad to see that Marcelle was still willing to wait. She was always patient, which Glynda assumed was because of her agelessness. She let Marcelle into the office with a nod of the head. "I'll bring him if I see him."

"No need… I love the view from up here, so I don't mind waiting." She replied, going to the coffee pot first before heading to the book case and starting to thumb through his books. She'd spend most of her time during breaks here, since she didn't socialize with too many people without her team, and they always went home during breaks to see their families. Ozpin never minded, either. He always welcomed her in and let her read whatever books she wanted from the shelves. She picked out a book, going to sit on the floor by the window, smiling out at the campus before she began reading. She was almost through the third chapter when the elevator door opened, causing Marcelle to look up. She stood, smiling as Ozpin walked over to the coffee pot without mention of her being there. He poured a cup and took a sip, smiling.

"Marcelle… is this coffee you brought from home?" he asked, turning to her. "It smells sweeter than I'm used to." He smiled, Marcelle smiling as well. "Welcome back to Beacon." He added, offering her a cup.

"Thank you, Ozpin." She replied, walking over to him and taking the cup, placing the book on his desk. "And yes, Yuugato sent it with me." She replied. "I have an entire suitcase worth."

"That's quite a bit."

"Well you do run through this stuff quickly." She chuckled. He chuckled as well, nodding his head in defeat.

"Very true… So, what brings you to Beacon? I was surprised to get your letter." He added as he went to stand near his desk, offering Marcelle the chair. She shook her head, instead leaning on the desk.

"I thought I should come and see you." She smiled. "Make sure nothing's changed since I left." She paused, looking down into her coffee cup. "And to ask… if you still need my assistance…" she added, Ozpin's eyes widening. She still wanted to help, even after all this time.

"You really don't have to offer that…"

"I do." She replied. "… I had a run in, Ozpin… with one of Salem's faction." She stated, Ozpin's eyes widening. "I didn't catch his name… but he was strong, Ozpin… too strong for me." She looked away, Ozpin grabbing her wrist.

"Was it Hazel?" he asked. "Tall, bulky, stronger than you can imagine?"

"… Yes." She looked up at him, looking lost. "I… I'd never imagined how strong one person could be… I saw him attacking a huntsman, killing him…" she took a moment to breathe before continuing. "The only reason I didn't get more seriously hurt was because he was already tired out… so he retreated." She stated, lifting the scarf from her shoulders to reveal a huge bandage that spanned both shoulders and down her arms under her arm warmers. "But he could have… had he not been exhausted already… he could have killed me, Ozpin." She replied, the headmaster staring in disbelief as she wrapped the scarf around herself again.

"How long ago was this?"

"Not long… maybe a week?" she looked nervous. "Or two…" the fact that she was still so badly hurt told Ozpin she was in a bad way when it happened. He wanted to throw himself at her, hold her and protect her like he'd been thinking of doing when she first told him she wanted to come into this fight. He didn't want her to be involved. But they knew her now… so they'd continue coming after her.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard…" he muttered, Marcelle looking up to see a lonely look in his eyes. "I… don't know what I'd do if you got killed coming back into this fray…"

"It's a choice I made." She replied, grasping his sleeve. "And I wouldn't change it… Ozpin." The two stared at one another for a while, Ozpin soon smiling a little. "Good. You smiled." She let go of his sleeve. "You need to smile more, Ozpin."

"Do I?" he asked. "Well the Vytal Festival is coming up…"

"Ah, is it that time already?" she asked, rubbing the back of her neck, glad he changed the subject. "How long till the tournament starts?"

"Oh, not long now." He replied, sipping from the cup again. "Are you going to stay to watch?"

"I was thinking about it." She smiled back at him, Ozpin nodding his head. "But I know I don't have a dorm anymore, so I wasn't sure where I should stay. Any recommendations?"

"There… is an open teacher's apartment…" Ozpin had faltered just for a moment, but he looked like he wanted to say something other than what he replied.

"Oh, is there? How much rent would I owe you?" she asked.

"It would be free if you helped teach the students as a… Festival Guest…" he chuckled. "You're well known, considering your need to hide away, Merci."

"Ahh, don't bring that up…" she made a face, Ozpin smiling a little at her childish expression. "But if it means rent is free, that's more money for food…" she pondered, Ozpin chuckling at her. She loved to eat, so that was a big bargaining chip for her. "Okay." She nodded, looking up at Ozpin. "I'll do it."

"Oh? Alright then." He smiled. "Shall I show you where you'll be staying?" he asked, offering an arm to her. "Or shall I take you to eat something first?"

"Food sounds nice…" she looked cheerful at the mention of food.

"I do hope you've missed the cafeteria food." He added, Marcelle chuckling as she took his arm.

"Well it's been a long time since I've had it. A bit of nostalgia might be good." She walked with him to the elevator, the ride down quiet. Ozpin was never much of a talker, so Marcelle got used to being silent around him. Once they reached the bottom floor, Ozpin reflexively tensed, Marcelle removing her arm from his and exiting the elevator first. "Come on, Professor." She waited, Ozpin smiling a little, following her. Even though he knew she was older than she looked, she still smiled and acted her physical age. She didn't look a day over 20, around the ages of his oldest students. But she was also a well spoken and well-trained individual who could school any of the students in a fight, so her apparent age was trumped by her skill.

* * *

After getting settled in the teacher's apartments, Marcelle sat at the table and stared out the window. This was home for at least a little while. But her mind wandered back to the reason she came back, grasping her hand into a fist. She hadn't mentioned it to Ozpin, but she'd been having horrible nightmares since Hazel fought her. But they weren't the normal sort of nightmare… no, they were different. A voice called out from a pit of bubbling blackness, calling her a lost daughter… calling her "home", but this instilled a fear in Marcelle like no other. This voice was cold… this voice cared not for her… but it knew her… She had also begun hearing bloodcurdling screams and woken in cold sweat. She heard a knock at the door, turning to stare for a moment. "Come in."

"Pardon the intrusion." There stood Ozpin, making Marcelle stare. "I thought you could use the company…" he smiled knowingly.

"… Thank you." She whispered, Ozpin walking in and sitting with her.

"Something troubling you?" he asked.

"… Many things." She replied, smiling wryly. "But none of which I feel comfortable speaking about." She added, Ozpin nodding his head at her.

"Well, even if you aren't… I'd like you to at least tell me if I can help." He stated, sliding a box across the table to her. "I thought… a box of your favorite snacks might be a good place to start." Marcelle stared at the box, noting a soft expression on Ozpin's face.

"You noticed, huh…?"

"Just a bit." He smiled a little more. "Go ahead… eat."

"… It'll taste better with tea." She stood up, going to make some tea to go with the sweets, Ozpin smiling at her as she worked. "… Ozpin?"

"Yes?" he asked, noting her almost shaking as she stood there.

"… Do you ever hear voices…?" she asked. "Voices that call to you in nightmares… that sound all too real?" she asked, Ozpin staring at her. He stood up, walking over as she continued to stand there, fist clenched and trembling.

"… Is that what's been happening to you?"

"I don't know who it is… but she knows me… my name… what happened before…" she whispered, Ozpin gripping her shoulder as she leaned against him. "It sounds so familiar, but it's scary…"

"Marcelle…" he wanted to help more, but for now this was all he could do. Stand next to her and hope to comfort her quietly. But even just holding her like this was almost too close for Ozpin. He was tempted to touch her, and that was dangerous. There were too many near incidents when she was a student as well. He just kept his composure and waited for her to calm down.

"I'm sorry." Again, she apologized. She always apologized for falling apart like this. As strong as she was, if it was just them she showed it all… the pent up stress, the fear… the worry… he ruffled her hair gently, smiling.

"Don't be… I'm glad you trust me enough to show those emotions."

"… Thanks for checking on me…"

"I'd do it even if you asked me not to." He replied, noting that she was no longer shaking. He let her finish making the tea, then sat with her and shared in the sweets until she began to tire. "You should rest… tomorrow you get to be introduced as a special guest, after all."

"Alright." She nodded, almost nodding off at the table. She got up and walked him to the door, feeling almost lonely as he turned to leave. "Come again."

"… If you insist." He smiled, letting her close the door before walking away down the hall. But as he did, another door opened.

"Ozpin."

"Are you going to scold me, Glynda?" he asked, knowing the blonde was glaring hard at him. "Even though she isn't my student, I still worry."

"You're fraternizing, is what you're doing." She replied to him, still glaring. "Just tell her straight, it doesn't help either of you if you hold back."

"Of course not." He replied. "But my feelings are no good for her… and I cannot accept her feelings, should they be used against me." He added, Glynda sighing.

"You're making yourself lonely, you know." She replied as he walked off.

"I know." He replied, Glynda sighing. She always scolded him about these things, because she noticed. But Ozpin wouldn't and couldn't act on those feelings… not with Marcelle. He felt wrong for it… it felt like if he expressed those feelings and she expressed them back that something bad would happen. He didn't want to lose her. But knowing that Hazel knew her now meant that she was in real danger… more than just Tyrian appearing and attacking when they were students… more than any grimm she had ever faced down… no, this was different. Salem knew her now… that was what worried him. And if Salem ever found out, Ozpin knew she would rip Marcelle away from him. He didn't want that to happen to her. He arrived back at his home, opening the door to a lonely estate. Too large for one person alone, he wandered the halls and back to his room. He sighed, sitting down on his bed. Sleep would avoid him as it always did. He just picked up a book and began reading, hoping that he could contain those bubbling emotions that he'd held back for so long.

* * *

((I figured I should start this since I'll have to wait to see the first episode of the next season of RWBY to post the next chapter in that fic. I'm at a stand still, so I shall post all the fluffy angst while I can~ Enjoy~

-Winter Cheshire))


	2. Chapter 2

Ozpin gave his speech to the students about their guest teachers, Marcelle smiling as she stood where she was told to wait for him to introduce her and their other special guests. He went ahead and introduced everyone else first, saving her for last. She sighed a little as he began her introduction. "Many of you may know her as the Huntress of One Hundred weapons… others may know her as the leader of a team that has won the Vytal Festival Tournament." He turned to where she was standing, offering a hand. She smiled a little, walking out, hiding her smile behind her scarf. She pulled it down a little and the students stared. She was used to that by now… she looked young enough to be a newly graduated student.

"Good morning." She stated, the students all beginning to clamor, spreading whispers of her youth and her skill. "Now I know many of you may have doubts about me, whether it be due to my stature or my looks… so… those of you who wish to try and prove something are welcome to challenge me. But be warned, I don't go easy on kids." She smiled, the snarky ones in the crowd looking like they thought she'd be an easy opponent to beat. "And because I don't go easy on kids, as requested by your headmaster, the total score of the challenger or challengers' team must be 500+ points just this semester." She added, the entire group shocked. 500 points in one semester, there were only 5 people from Beacon with that score… Pyrrah being the only 1st year.

"Also, you must make an official request to fight against Merci." Ozpin added. "She has other duties to attend to as well."

"Ah, yes my apologies for not mentioning that." She replied to Ozpin. "I'll be waiting, kids." She waved a hand before leaving stage left, Ozpin almost smiling before turning back to the students and continuing his speech. Every guest had issued a challenge of sorts, but Merci's struck out to the most students. The celadon haired woman went to sit on the side with her three fellow guest teachers.

"Well well, Miss Merci's quite a show stopper." The oldest one smiled, his dark brown hair streaked with grey. He wore a casual suit with his weapons holstered on his arms. This old man with that "cool old grandpa" personality, who's name is Everest Almandine.

"She's young, of course she's got to be. No one would believe how strong she is unless they've watched her in a fight… in person." The next was a woman with yellow-streaked amber hair, her smile shining. Her outfit was white and her posture was prim. This woman, by the name of Sunny, was less of a huntress and more of an idol, but all the same she was well known for her charisma. A teacher from another school, though Marcelle couldn't remember which one. But she did remember Sunny attempting to recruit her to teach at her school when she was fighting in her last Vytal Festival tournament.

"Don't you have better things to do than challenge kids, Merci?" the third voice made Merci turn, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Don't you have better things to do than act like a jerk, Quil?" Her former classmate from Beacon, her former rival… he always called her by her huntress alias, never her real name. He did it to get a rise out of her, though he always seemed to be irritated by her as well. But to make it worse, she shortened his name to Quil to get back at him for calling her by her alias.

"Ah the infamous rivalry, continued." Everest laughed, Sunny sighing at them both. But before it escalated, a hand found Marcelle's shoulder.

"Marcelle. A word."

"Of course, Professor Ozpin." She turned away from Quil and the others, sighing a little as she walked away with Ozpin. "I didn't mean to…"

"You aren't being scolded." He told her as they walked. "But I do request that you refrain from arguing with Mister Quilin and focus on your own work." He added, Marcelle sighing as they stopped.

"I… yeah." She mumbled, looking put out. "I don't like arguing with him, if he just wouldn't initiate…"

"Now, now." He pet her head, letting her calm down and continued to walk with her back to his office. "I trust that you can hold your temper? I'd rather not step in if I can help it." He added, Marcelle laughing a little at him. It was true, though. Ozpin stepped in on plenty of potential fights back when Marcelle was a student, especially with Quilin and his team versus Marcelle's group.

"Yes, sir." She replied, pouting.

* * *

_Flashback: Beacon Academy, Marcelle's 1__st__ year_

After assembling teams for the year, classes had begun and the cliques formed. Marcelle, Alder, Noir, and Argris stayed mostly to themselves. But this made them a bit of a target. "Well well if it isn't Merci the huntress." Marcelle stopped, turning to glance over her shoulder. This voice only meant trouble. Quilin Road was a member of team QUIL, its leader in fact. But he always picked fights with them… always. Mostly because he knew her from when she was still hunting Grimm on her own. Thankfully it had been just a month before beacon so she didn't have to explain away her age.

"What do you want?" she asked, her team all glaring at the others. Ulises, Quilin's partner, always poked fun at Alder for being a pacifist… calling him a scardey cat or whatever name he'd come up with. Ire was constantly telling Noir to speak up and trying to get a rise from the boy. And then there was Lex. Lex was just a crude kid, and it got on Argris' nerves. But Team MANA held their cool… except Marcelle.

"You hunted Grimm before this, why are you even here? What, lose your edge?" he laughed, Marcelle glaring at him. "That's all she's good for anyway, hunting Grimm."

"Marcelle, easy." Alder whispered, the girl's fist already clenched.

"I should just take all your points in sparring, then we can see who's lost their edge." She retorted, Alder still worried even though she mentioned a "sanctioned" fight in sparring class.

"Pff, please, you couldn't take me." Quilin smirked, Marcelle wanting to school him in a fight even more now. But before the fight could escalate or anything could get more intense, a voice called out.

"My my. What a crowd. What's going on?" Ozpin walked over, carrying his coffee cup in hand.

"Children. Back to your classrooms. Class will be starting soon." Glynda stated, narrowing her eyes at the students who had gathered to watch the confrontation. As they dispersed, Glynda shooed Team QUIL and Team MANA, minus their leader. Marcelle stood with Ozpin as Glynda walked away.

"I didn't think you were the type to pick fights, Marcelle."

"… I didn't mean to." She replied. "He was provoking me because I was hunting Grimm before…"

"And he will likely continue." Ozpin stated. "Would you like me to talk to him?"

"… No… I'll just beat him up in sparring… that's fine, isn't it?" she asked. Ozpin smiled a little, sipping from his coffee. "Is it not?"

"No, that's all fine and good." He replied. "But if you're going to do that… perhaps you would consider showing your talent more… seriously?" he asked. "I know you're holding back in many of your classes specifically because you're trying not to show your age…"

"… I cannot stand out too much, sir…" she replied in a whisper. "… But I can stand out enough to take someone who insists on causing trouble down a few pegs."

"Alright." He smiled. "Don't forget your homework."

"I won't, sir." She smiled a little. "Have a good afternoon, Professor."

"You as well, Marcelle." He replied, letting her walk off to class, noting Alder and the other two of her team waiting at the corner for her. Glynda walked back over as Ozpin watched her go, tapping his shoulder with her riding crop. "Yes?"

"You're babying her."

"I'm simply doing as her grandmother requested and checking on her." He replied, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde teacher. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Does it seem as though I am doing more than that?"

"Well considering the semester only just started and you've already checked in on her about 10 times." She sighed, Ozpin blinking. Had it been that many times already? He thought back on it, realizing it had been that many times. "Ozpin, it's almost like you're playing favorites." She added. Ozpin nodded and looked into his coffee cup.

"… I'll try not to do that." He replied. But by now Glynda knew he'd continue to make sure she was alright and continue to watch over her more closely than the others. Marcelle had told Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow about her real age when Qrow came to deliver a message to them. It was hard to believe but they were all trustworthy enough to the girl. But finding out had been quite a shock, since Glynda was younger by a year or two. Ozpin took it in stride though, since he too was older than he seemed. Glynda just went off to class, hoping that Ozpin could keep his distance.

_: Flashback End_

* * *

Ozpin had escorted Marcelle all the way back to his office, the scent of a strong coffee filling the air as she walked out of the elevator. "Oh…?" she sniffed the air and smiled. "Is that the blend that Noda sent you from his visit to Mistral?"

"It is. Your family has a real taste for good blends." He added, offering her a chair before pouring her a cup. They sat in relative silence for a while, just enjoying the coffee before Ozpin spoke again. "I do hope you aren't tired of always drinking coffee with me."

"Tired of coffee? Ozpin, please. I could never be tired of coffee. Nor could I tire so easily of sharing with you." She added, sipping her drink. That made him smile. "Besides, it gets me away from all the noise out there." She smiled up at him.

"Well, I'm glad." He nodded, sipping from his cup. It was so strange, but Marcelle was the only person aside from Oobleck that would share coffee with him. Glynda always said she preferred tea, and Port always talked, as did Oobleck. Marcelle would just sit in silence with him. It was nice. After a little longer, Marcelle stood up and went to the window to stare out at the school.

"Ozpin… can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Are you worried that Salem will attempt to infiltrate the school?" she turned to him, noting the minor surprise in his eyes. "There shouldn't have been a reason to call Quil unless you were worried… his semblance would make sense in that scenario, though."

"… Yes, I did call Mister Quilin because of his semblance." He replied. "However it is not Salem I am worried about."

"Then who?" she asked.

"… Her name is unknown, but she has been seen both in Vale by Glynda and one of our students, Ruby Rose… as well as in the school grounds, again by Miss Rose." He replied. "She fights with glass… and with a bow and arrow… Miss Rose described her as having blackish-grey hair and glowing eyes, as well as ingrained dust in her clothes."

"… Ingrained dust, huh…? That's old school stuff, not too many people have the patience to do that anymore." She replied, pondering something. "Bow and arrow, huh…?" she sighed. "I don't like the sounds of that."

"Do you perhaps know of her?" he walked over to her as she put her mug down on his desk.

"… I met a woman once… though it was more a confrontation than anything…" she put a hand on her shoulder, sighing. "I remember her taunting me… saying that I was so blind to the truth..." she gripped her shoulder harder. "She shot me with her weapon and it screwed up my shoulder pretty badly…" she looked up at him, noting the look of concern on his face. "And I remember her saying… the old man in the tower will tell you. I figured she was referring to your secret about Salem."

"They're definitely working with her, then." He went to sit in his chair, looking bothered.

"What bothers me is that she didn't try and kill me… even Hazel I don't think was really trying to kill me…" she added. Ozpin turned to her, noting the confused expression she had on her face. "Thinking back… and I mean really going over it all… That woman should have aimed for my left shoulder, closer to my heart… but she went for the right one. And when Hazel attacked me, he missed my vitals completely… he didn't seem the type to miss unless it's on purpose." She added. That worried Ozpin a great deal. Those two were NOT the type to mess around, from what he'd seen. Given the opportunity, they didn't seem to hesitate to make the decision to take lives.

"In any case, you should try and focus on the festival. Take your mind off it for a while." He added, Marcelle still staring at him. But even after agreeing, Marcelle had a bad feeling. She stared at her scroll for a long time that evening, hesitating to send the message she'd re-written about 20 times. But after hours of debating, she pressed send, putting her scroll aside and laying back in bed. She hoped her intuition wasn't right.

* * *

((Chapter 2~ More because I want to get to the fluff than anything so I'm speeding along the intro chapters.

Soon... soon I shall post the fluff.

-Winter Cheshire))


	3. Chapter 3

Ozpin faded back to reality as he realized Marcelle's latest sparring match had come to an end. As hard as they tried, the students just couldn't keep pace with her. Glynda glared his way, realizing he had zoned out, but her eyes quickly returned to the match as the next batch of students took the field. "She really is something else…" she added, Ozpin smiling a bit as he saw Marcelle jump up above the students and use her staff on the way down to produce a shockwave.

"This is nothing." He replied. "Now seeing her fighting Grimm? That's the real show-stopper." He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "What was next on her agenda?" he asked, Glynda sighing and shaking her head before turning to him again.

"She has a break, but she mentioned attending the weapon display I believe."

"That's definitely in her wheel house." He nodded, smiling a little. "We should attend as well."

"Professor, we have other duties." She reminded him. "She can handle on her own for an hour."

"I know she can…" he stated. Glynda sighed again, knowing Ozpin had been sticking to Marcelle's side for various reasons.

"We can walk her there, but that's all." She stated, going back to watching the last moments of the match, Marcelle knocking down her last opponent as the timer ran to 0.

"Winner! Miss Lune!" the woman looked up into the stands, meeting Ozpin's gaze and smiling a little. He smiled as well, Glynda giving him the side eye.

"Flirting with her now, are we?" she asked as he bowed his head to her, sipping from his coffee again.

"Glynda, I'm too old to flirt."

"I doubt that highly." She replied, picking up her riding crop before heading down to where Marcelle was. "Hurry up. We'll be late otherwise."

* * *

After being dropped off at the Weapon Display by Ozpin and Glynda, Marcelle took a walk around with a smile. All students had to attend this part of the festival, but she noticed a familiar face as she approached. "Qrow."

"Well well, Little Miss Merci." He smirked as she stood next to him. "What're you doin' here?"

"My matches are done for the day… I have an hour before my next obligation so I wanted to come and see the weapon display." She looked around him, eyeing a staff next to a blonde faunus boy with a tail. She wandered the wall though, taking in every weapon. "These weapons are extraordinary…" Marcelle looked at the weapons one by one, inspecting each one with her eyes but looking as though she wanted to handle them. She stopped at the staff, eyes widening upon closer inspection. "These are…" she turned to Sun. "May I?"

"Sure." He grinned. She picked it up, flipping it on her wrist as she did with her own, looking cheerful. "You know how to handle those, huh?"

"Staffs and Canes are my forte." She replied. "Keeping an enemy just far enough away… its been a long time since I've held two, though…" she did a couple of tricks, then placed them back down. "I need to get back into doing that…" she muttered to herself. "I hope Aya doesn't get mad for me asking something so suddenly…" she took out a book, scribbled it down for later, and went back to inspecting weapons.

"Staffs and Canes, huh…?" Qrow looked at Marcelle, knowing Ozpin's teaching must have influenced her quite a bit if she said that openly. Everything was supposed to be her forte, as a huntress of a hundred weapons. She'd never been that way before… she used to be mostly long range, Qrow remembering those twin pistols that she could take anywhere without anyone noticing. But now she was carrying other weapons too…

"Oh, that's right. Qrow, I wanted to test something against Harbringer. Can I?" she asked him, the man nodding his head.

"A new weapon?"

"Hehe, yes~" she smiled. "I got the chance to make something myself when I was at home." She added.

"Oh? Picking up your granny's talents, huh?" Qrow laughed. "Alright, kid. Let's see what you've got." Some of the students followed them out to the area they used for sparring practice. "One point match?" Qrow questioned.

"Five point, please. I'm not that good with it yet." She chuckled.

"Alright." He nodded, downing a sip from his flask. Marcelle took out the weapon, Qrow quirking an eyebrow at her. "Is that…?"

"Hehe, yes yes make fun all you like, Qrow." She replied, smiling still. "I value what Ozpin taught me as much as I valued Grandfather's and Grandmother's teachings." She flicked the weapon over her wrist, the extension coming out and revealing a cane-like weapon. Not quite a sword, but most definitely strong. "So… let's begin, shall we?" Without hesitation, Qrow charged and Marcelle parried, flicking him up and following him up. They exchanged blows and knocked one another down a few times, Marcelle missing a step. She flew towards the ground, some of the students rushing to catch her. But she stopped short, eyes widening when she realized a head of silver hair and a strong pair of arms holding her up.

"That was quite a fall, Marcelle." He put her down, petting her head a little as Qrow ran over. "Qrow."

"Sorry Oz."

"No, don't be." Marcelle interjected, a hand moving up to her shoulder. "I should have been more careful." She added, looking up at Ozpin. He looked down at her smiling. The two left without much other word, Qrow sighing a little.

"Oz ruins all the fun." He mumbled before getting back to his niece and her friends, taking them back downstairs.

* * *

"That was dangerous, Marci."

"Ozpin I'm fine."

"Your shoulder hurts, right?"

"… I could've handled it."

"Marcelle." She turned to him in the empty hallway, staring up at him with a look that made him feel a little bad. She looked so upset that he was treating her with so much care.

"Ozpin what's gotten into you?" she asked him. "I just wanted to spar… Qrow knew I missed a step, he pulled his blow… I could have landed just fine…"

"I know, Marcelle." He reached up and rubbed her head. "Forgive me… I just…" he withdrew his hand, Marcelle pouting a little at him.

"I'll forgive you if you have coffee with me before we have to talk to Quil." She replied swiftly, making Ozpin quirk an eyebrow. "I was trying to blow off steam before we talked… now I'm all pent up and I need to relax."

"… Of course." He smiled, glad she wasn't really upset with him. They walked back towards his office, sharing a cup of coffee for a while in relative silence. But soon the elevator opened, Glynda walking in with Quilin tagging along behind her. Their talk began, Ozpin relaying to Quilin why he'd been brought in this year rather than any other.

"My semblance?"

"Second hand will greatly assist, should this event come to pass." Ozpin stated as Marcelle stood at his side with Glynda. Quilin agreed of course, but he glared at Marcelle.

"How long has she known?"

"Since I graduated." She replied quickly. "On my last mission before graduating, I ran into the woman with the bow… she almost cost me my arm." She added. Quilin raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "She's more dangerous than she lets on… if Alder hadn't jumped in, I could have died."

"Hah, that pacifist interrupted your fight? That must have been a badass woman, then." He sighed. "I'll help if I can." He turned back to Ozpin.

"Thank you, Mister Quilin." Ozpin nodded his head. Glynda escorted him out as Marcelle finally breathed, Ozpin smiling. "You managed to deceive him."

"I only managed because it's half true… just the times are wrong… since it happened after I graduated… and the knowing has long since been." She let him hand her the coffee cup again and sipped from it. "I'm just glad he agreed to help."

"As am I." he sipped from his cup as well. "… Marcelle?"

"Yes, Ozpin?"

"You should go ice your shoulder before it swells. After all, the gala is tomorrow night."

"Eeeh, you're making me go?" she pouted. The associate Gala was the teacher's night to have fun, and Ozpin had told Marcelle that she needed to go, as a guest instructor. "I don't have a dress or anything, Ozpin… I only have my combat gear. I'm hardly-" she stopped herself, seeing Ozpin staring at her. "… Ozpin? Are you listening?"

"I am." He replied with a smile. "But if you'll recall… the second dress that you turned down for your Senior Prom."

"Wh-what?" she blushed, shocked at the mention of the dress she had turned down in favor of something demure during her senior prom. But that dress was something she still thought about leaving behind to this day. The stunning black fabric that accentuated every curve on her, the diamond-like accents, the high cut neck and sheer sleeves. That dress was like a dream to Marcelle, who had only ever tried on dresses to please her grandmother.

"If I recall, you had taken Glynda with you shopping, but turned down that dress due to a budget restriction." He stated, looking up at her with those soft brown eyes. "But I had a chat with the shopkeeper, who happened to mention that you were the only person to ever carry that dress so well." He smiled. "So I bought it for you… I'm sure it still fits."

"You… Ozpin but that dress was astronomically expensive!" she exclaimed, face red. He'd spent that much Lien on her? Why? As she fumbled for words, Ozpin stood up and pet her head.

"If it bothers you that much, you can come to the gala as my payment… please?" he asked, looking almost eager as he waited for her answer. She took a breath, looking up at him.

"Thank you, Ozpin…" she said, pouting a little. "But if you ever spend that much on me again I will literally throw you into the floor."

"Oh, will you?" he smiled. "I suppose it'll be deserved." He chuckled, rubbing her head again. "I'll have it delivered to your room so you can be ready for tomorrow night, then."

* * *

Ozpin sighed as he waited for Marcelle at the entrance to the Gala, Glynda with him. "You should have gone to her room to get her." Glynda scolded him. "And what are you thinking, having someone else deliver that dress? You should have just delivered it to her in person. And moreover-!"

"Glynda." He stated, the woman sighing. "Please." The woman held her tongue, knowing Ozpin was absolutely losing his head.

"It wasn't long ago you stated that you couldn't accept her feelings, and yet here you are showering her with tokens of affection." She told him calmly. "Ozpin… you need to choose."

"… I know, Glynda. I know." He replied, sighing again. "But how can I pursue her, knowing that someone could end up hurting her because of me?"

"You need to put some trust in her, Ozpin." Glynda almost whipped her riding crop straight in his face. "She's strong… she's a good person…" she retracted her crop, placing it away. "So I think… that if you trust her to take care of herself sometimes… then you'll be less afraid of losing her." Ozpin closed his eyes to calm down, hearing heels clicking on the stone path. They got closer, stopping just in front of him. He opened his eyes, staring at the stunning young lady before him. "Marcelle. Glad you made it." Glynda smiled.

"Glynda." She bowed her head to her former teacher, then looked up at Ozpin. "… Thank you again, Ozpin." She smiled, causing the old man's heart to skip a beat. "I do hope you weren't waiting on me."

"Of course he was." Glynda stated, walking with her inside while Ozpin stood there for a moment before following. "He knows you didn't want to come along to begin with, so he's trying his best to keep you comfortable." She added, glancing back at Ozpin. The three spent some time chatting, letting Marcelle calm down in the tense atmosphere before General Ironwood came along to take Glynda to the dance floor and leaving Marcelle alone with Ozpin on the sidelines. The two stood in relative silence, Marcelle shifting on her heels a little before Ozpin spoke.

"You look beautiful." He stated. She turned to him, smiling meekly.

"I do…?" she chuckled nervously. "I'm not used to all this so…"

"You have nothing to worry about." He told her. "You're carrying that dress like it was made for you." He offered her a cup of premium coffee, knowing it would calm her down. She sipped from the cup, looking down at the floor. As much as Ozpin wanted to say more, he knew she was already uncomfortable because of the atmosphere. "When you want to leave, let me know."

"But don't you have to stay?"

"Everyone's having fun… they won't miss me." He smiled at her, Marcelle staring at him. "I just wanted you to make an appearance so that you wouldn't be asked about attending… now we can both leave without a word and no one will notice." He chuckled, Marcelle soon joining him.

"Then… please." She walked out with him quietly, no one any the wiser. Ozpin was happy that he could take her out of the environment he knew made them both uncomfortable. But more than that, he had her to himself… that made the night all the better. They headed back to his office, spending the rest of the evening talking over coffee before Ozpin escorted Marcelle back to her room. "Thank you again…"

"No need for thanks." He pet her head a little, knowing that she was almost asleep as it was. "Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day."

"… Right." She smiled, closing the door slowly before he walked away. Ozpin wandered back to his home, lost in thought the whole way. Back in his own home, he thought long and hard about the evening, knowing that he had already made his choice. He'd made that choice a long time ago. He was going to pursue her. But he had to be careful not to let anyone else notice. After all, she was his former student… they had to be cautious about it all. But he knew one thing. At least making this choice was his own.

* * *

((Finally got another chapter! Sorry for the delay, work has been crazy... I hope you all like it!

-Winter Cheshire))


	4. Chapter 4

Marcelle stared at her scroll, noting that all three of the messages she'd sent had been seen but the celadon-haired woman hadn't received a single reply. She shook it off, getting out of bed and changing into her outfit for today. She wondered what she should do about all this. But all she could do was wait. Would they come? Or would they consider this another moment where she lost her nerve? She did her best to not think about it, heading out to watch today's matches. She only had one match slated for today, and that was with the red-haired girl from Mistral. Sanctum Academy's very own Pyrrah Nikos. Marcelle smiled a little, deciding whether or not she should be using Umbra Falsa or a different weapon. She walked and walked, eventually stopping when she realized she was at Beacon Tower. She looked up at where his office was, sighing. "Again…?" she muttered. "I always end up here…" she was going to turn around and leave when she heard someone walk up behind her.

"Miss Merci." She turned to see General Ironwood.

"General…" she bowed to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to go inform Ozpin about the current situation."

"Situation, huh…?" she sighed. "Everything is a situation now days." The general quirked an eyebrow at her, but walked with her as she started heading towards the tower. "I had something to tell him as well, but it can wait until you've told him your piece."

"… I see."

* * *

Marcelle hadn't really been watching the matches all day, but she still found herself wandering the grounds before her match with Pyrrah Nikos. The teams were still in the process of the doubles matches, but her team had already won their match so there was nothing to worry about. But somehow Marcelle was worried… not about her fight but about everything else going on. Ironwood's talk with Ozpin had gone badly, as things stood the general was over-imposing his military power and Glynda certainly showed her displeasure.

Some time later, after her wanderings, she arrived at the arena to see a crowd forming. She walked by them all, seeing Pyrrah waiting on the other end. "Oh dear… I hope I didn't keep you waiting, Miss Nikos."

"No, not at all." She smiled. Marcelle nodded, stopping as she hit the arena floor.

"Alright then… shall we begin?"

* * *

Marcelle had spent the last few days between helping Ozpin, watching matches, and dealing with constant challengers among the students. But today she took a break specifically because of what had happened. All the teachers did. "Miss Xiao Long didn't seem the type to attack an innocent."

"But her semblance is…"

"That's rubbish."

"Knock it off." Marcelle stated, feeling a headache starting to beat in the back of her skull. "All this talk is bad atmosphere…" she added, getting up. "We're at a festival, not a judicial hearing." She left the room, Quilin surprised but not saying a word as the older two continued their argument. Marcelle, though she wanted to, didn't even have the mindset to watch Pyrrah's match. The girl had gone toe to toe with the celadon-haired woman in their sparring, but the timer ran out before they could determine a winner. Marcelle looked up at the arena in the sky, then went back to wandering. It felt endless, the time spent on the grounds walking… waiting… trying to gather herself and organize her thoughts.

She realized where she was only after she heard something. A growl. In the middle of all these trees… She turned, eyes widening as she managed to back up from a Beowolf slashing at her, a guard shooting it down. "The hell…?" she looked around, horrified as she realized there were more. Hundreds… maybe even thousands of Grimm entering the area. She could hear the alarms beginning to sound, people scattering and trying to find somewhere to hide back a few hundred feet, but the people were all over the place. She backed up towards the clearing so she could swing Umbra Falsa around without obstruction. Along with the soldiers and guards, Marcelle started shooting down and slashing Grimm as quickly as she could, but there were so many and the area was too open for her to get them all. "Damn it…" She felt something nearby grab at her, managing to roll away. But she turned, seeing it moving slowly. She noticed a noise before the grimm started to dissolve. Like a clock striking the hour…

"Frustrated already? C'mon Merci, you're supposed to be a grimm hunting machine." The blackette rival from her Beacon days walked up, his cannon-like weapon in hand. "Where's that resolve?"

"Quil…?" she got up, realizing now what the pause had been. Quilin's semblance, Second Hand. "When did you…?"

"C'mon, I used to be able to find you anywhere on campus just to piss you off. I still got it." He looked to the Grimm and shot them back away from the girl. "So… you lose your edge or something? The Merci I remember from before Beacon was NEVER this weak."

"I'm not weak." She retorted, standing up. "Distracted, maybe… but not weak." She put away Umbra Falsa, sighing as she turned the gears on her clothes. "Fighting with you is gonna be hell."

"Shut up."

"It's a good thing I have a weapon that's not "in the way" on me." She opened up the cane sword that she had used in a test against Qrow, Quilin immediately noticing its similarity to their headmaster's weapon. A small group of students paused in their evacuation along with the guards, staring at the two former rivals fighting side by side. Quilin's Second Hand in combination with Marcelle's Vitality meant that the two could single handedly destroy this whole hoard without missing a beat. Not a grimm would get by to the students.

"Guh…" Exhausted from using his semblance, the second Quilin let up, an arrow flew his way. But Marcelle managed to deflect it and it landed hard into a nearby tree. The assailant rushed off, knowing their chance was lost. "Damn, she's headed for the school!" Quilin rushed after her, Marcelle slashing the last of the grimm before following.

"How did you know it was a her?" she asked as the guards got the students to evacuate. Quilin didn't answer. The festival grounds quickly became a disaster area and she did her best to push the Grimm back without hurting any of the bystanders around her. She took out her scroll and tried calling Ozpin, but no answer. "Damn it." She heard people screaming, realizing there were Ursa all over the place.

"Go." Quilin said, taking his cannon and firing into a group of Ursa.

"What? But you're already-!"

"C'mon don't be sympathetic to your rival now." He laughed. "That's just not the Merci I know at all." He turned to her. "You're worried about him, right?"

"… Quilin…"

"Get going, Merci. I'm sure the old man's waiting on you." Marcelle stared at him, but nodded and took off not soon after. Quilin sighed, shaking his head. "Get it together, man… she's outta your league anyway." He swung his cannon at the grimm nearby, diving right into the fray again.

* * *

Marcelle ran across the courtyard, having noticed the grimm focusing in on the tower. "Ozpin… where are you?" she asked, taking down grimm along her way and sliding to a stop next to the students. "You guys okay?" she asked, noticing the bunny girl almost passed out and the others looking haggard.

"Miss Merci!"

"No way, shouldn't you be helping the other teachers?"

"I would but Ironwood gets on my nerves sometimes." She smiled. But she noticed some people missing. Pyrrah wasn't there… and her team leader, too… the blackette cat girl and Yang as well. "You're missing members… where are they?" she asked.

"Pyrrah and Jaune went into the tower with Ozpin." Ren told Marcelle as she stabbed through another Grimm coming their way. "And Blake and Yang went off to deal with the White Fang."

"Into…" she sighed. "Damn it Ozpin." She shook her head. "I need you kids to step back…" she added.

"What?! But we can totally help!" the monkey faunus exclaimed.

"You'll get in the way." She stated. "I… was raised to hunt down Grimm like a machine… I can clear the court yard but you guys NEED to back off." She added. They all noticed an air around her that almost scared them. They stepped back into the shadow of the tower, Marcelle nodding and opening up Umbra Falsa to its last form. "As soon as it's clear, go help your friends attacking the White Fang… I'll go find the other two… I know that tower like the back of my hand."

"But there are so many…" Nora looked horrified at the sheer number of Grimm she was saying she'd take on alone. Marcelle stepped forward, one of the larger Grimm charging her. She was almost slashed when the claws stopped just short, her spearhead driven through the Grimm's center.

"I'm waiting." She said as the Grimm before her dissolved. The students watched in awe, wave after wave Marcelle was using all her weapons to fight off the grimm. She changed weapons out after taking down a grimm. But then one caught her and threw Umbra Falsa across the way. But instead of rushing for her weapon, she kicked the Grimm off of her, two match box sized boxes detaching from her belt. As the next line of grimm charged, the boxes opened up and into what looked like guns. The flurry of shots that emerged were all colorful, the grimm falling and dissolving before the woman as she stood perfectly still.

"Those are…" Coco smiled. "Oh man, to think she'd pull out Grigori and Argent here…"

"Grigori and Argent?" Nora asked.

"Those twin pistols were her second-best weapon to Umbra Falsa. They shoot dust, but the random effect makes them hard to handle." Coco stated. "She doesn't normally use them since they're random but I guess in a situation like this she doesn't mind."

"Wait… the dust is completely random?!" Sun exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter much against Grimm like this though… in a fight against people it's a totally different story." Neptune stated. They continued to watch until Marcelle completely decimated the grimm in the general area. She sighed, going to pick up Umbra Falsa and return it to her belt holster, walking back to the others. "I assume you've all had some rest?" she smiled.

"Y-yeah…"

"We can take it from here."

"Good." She nodded her head. "Now get out of here. The military is waiting to escort the remaining students on the ground." Once they rushed off, she turned back towards the tower, sighing. "Alright." She rushed in towards Beacon Tower, arriving just as Jaune and Pyrrah arrived at the exit. They were both exhausted… traumatized… "Both of you should get to safety."

"Right." The blonde nodded, looking determined and holding Pyrrah's hand.

"Wait…" Pyrrah looked at Marcelle. "That fight down there…"

"I know." She smiled. "I've known since I graduated Beacon… about all of this." She looked to the elevator with a sigh. "I have a few tricks too, Miss Nikos." She bowed to them both. "Thank you… for trying to help Ozpin. But I cannot leave him alone."

"… Then please be careful." She replied. Marcelle nodded, hurrying down to the basement. The ride down was tense as hell, but she had to find Ozpin… she had to help him. She arrived to see Cinder and Ozpin's magic clashing, the lights almost blinding. She stopped just for a second, readying her weapon and taking a breath. "Cinder!" she called, the woman turning and eyes widening to see her.

"You…" she growled, throwing a ball of fire in Marcelle's direction, only to be jumped by Ozpin. The fight carried on; and having to deal with a second opponent with so much experience was wearing on the girl's energy, even with the Fall Maiden's powers. But she never threw a fatal blow at Marcelle. It made her wonder why. Why was Cinder taking it easy on her? Just like the last time. Cinder, having had enough of this, prepared a serious attack at Ozpin. Marcelle jumped to his aid. As the room fell silent, Cinder believing that she had destroyed them both, headed out. But suddenly something flew at her and struck her left side, causing her to fall and her arm to get thrashed badly as she tried to remove the clawed hook embedded in her side and shoulder. "Lune!"

"Hehe… seems like you let your guard down." She swung the weapon back, tearing Cinder's arm to shreds. "I'm not so easy to kill… or did you forget?" she asked, bleeding heavily but still standing. She began to fight Cinder head on, the woman's power was now weaker thanks to Ozpin's assault, however she did not use that magic against the girl one on one. She wasn't complaining, but it made her wonder what the hell she was thinking. In her current condition, Marcelle would be dead if Cinder was using her power. Was it because her arm was gone? No… no she still had that fire in her eyes.

"Damn you!" Cinder, in a frenzy, swung out at the huntress in front of her, but missed. Marcelle took the opportunity and slammed Carbide Acco into Cinder's chest, blasting her back into the elevator. The woman gasped for breath, managing to escape in the elevator with her good arm. She wanted to follow, but a wave of exhaustion overtook Marcelle and caused her to take a knee. As she tried to push off the ground, she felt herself blacking out. But her head never hit the floor.

"Marci… hang in there…" Ozpin whispered as her strength left her, letting herself pass out.

* * *

((It's been a while so I thought I'd post a second one. Might have a third new chapter sometime in this coming week?

-Winter Cheshire))


	5. Chapter 5

"Professor, don't hover." A familiar voice came to Marcelle's ears, along with a soft mumble in reply. She was sore, exhausted… but the green haired woman managed to open her eyes and look around a little. "Ah, she's up!" White hair… that voice…

"Al… der?"

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Marci." He told her, petting her head. "Here, glasses." He put them on her, letting her adjust as she lay in bed.

"Marci…" Noir bowed his head to her from over Alder's shoulder, the girl managing to sit up with Alder's help.

"Noir…" she smiled a little.

"Geez, leader…" Marcelle jumped, turning to see a grey-haired man standing at the window. "Giving us all a scare…" he turned, those shimmering turquoise eyes smiling at her. "Especially Prof Oz… seriously, are you two a thing now? He won't stop hovering over you!"

"Argris…" she felt tears sting her eyes, the three panicking a little at the sudden show of emotion from their leader. "You're all here…" she managed to choke out, Alder sighing and rubbing her head as she calmed herself down.

"Of course… you called us for help… we wouldn't turn you down." He told her, smiling.

"It's a damn good thing we were already on the grounds, though… seriously, imagine if we'd missed our flight into Vale!" Argris exclaimed, Noir slapping his partner's arm as he came around the bed. "Ow!"

"Quiet… you'll make her cry more."

"Glad to see you three as energetic as ever." Ozpin said, Marcelle turning to see Ozpin at her bedside, blushing a little. "And glad you're awake… Marcelle."

"Oz… a-are you hurt?" she asked, knowing that he'd been fighting Cinder off for a while before she got there. He had a couple of bandages but was no worse for wear externally.

"I'm alright… you on the other hand, look quite banged up." He rubbed her head. "Get some more rest…"

"I will later… where's Cinder? And what happened?" With no answer from Ozpin, she turned to Alder, who nodded.

"Well, Argris did a wonderful job suppressing the hijacked atlas tech that was rampaging in the city. Gave Goodwitch quite a fright I think, when he finally showed himself." Alder smiled. "General Ironwood was really surprised, too. And then on top of that, Noir was helping the beacon students take down the grimm at the school on the end where you hadn't taken out that huge horde. He was so determined. I wasn't able to help much, since you took down all those Grimm alone." Alder smiled.

"You're being too humble!" Argris scolded. "Marci, you shoulda' seen Alder! He was fighting off that White Fang punk Adam! It was so cool! Didn't give him an inch and made him retreat!"

"Haha, was he? Good job, partner." She pat Alder's head, making him smile at his leader. "And the students?"

"They're alright. Shaken, but alright. Well… except for Miss Yang Xiao Long." Alder replied. "If I had gotten there sooner, she would still have her arm."

"No no." Marcelle scolded him, ruffling his hair. "None of that. You know things happen." He smiled a little as she removed her hand. "… What about Quil?"

"Oh, he's fine. Went chasing that woman, Cinder, and came back when he lost her." Argris replied. "She must've been really good, to get away even with his semblance." Marcelle made a face, Alder quirking an eyebrow at her. "Anyway though, he's fine. Helping clean up the festival grounds.

"We're gonna go start helping the rebuilding efforts in the city… you get some rest." He stated, Marcelle nodding her head at him. "Good girl." He ruffled her hair before the three of them left the room. She sat in silence, letting herself calm down and take in the information she'd received. The school was in shambles, but aside from a few things, they were no worse for wear.

"Coffee?" Ozpin offered her a cup, the girl jumping a little and looking up at him, smiling.

"Thank you." She whispered, taking it from him delicately. She sipped at the cup, Ozpin sitting next to her and continuing to hover over her. "You know… Oz… I'm fine…" she turned to him after putting her cup down, but soon realizing another emotion lay just beneath the surface of his expression. "Oz-?" Marcelle was cut off by a pair of lips. Ozpin's lips. She stayed still, letting him press more into the kiss, squeezing her hand. When he finally broke the kiss, she stared at him, shocked. "Ozpin…?"

"I… I'm sorry, I know that was impulsive… but I saw you fall, and I thought… please, no… not her…" he whispered, his cheeks pink. "I can't explain it but you're… I'm…"

"It's okay…" her free hand was now in front of her lips, a soft smile coming to her lips. "It's… warm…" she smiled more, his face reddening from the sheer happiness on her face. "You're very good at that… Ozpin…"

"I… try to be…" he blushed, glancing away. He was glad Glynda wasn't around, she'd be scolding him and giving him an earful, even though she knew about Marcelle's real age. But it had been so long since these feelings had bloomed in his heart. The last few times had been more about the soul he'd merged with already having someone than his own feelings. But he lived with it. This time was different. Marcelle chose him, and he felt something for her as well. "Marcelle, I…" he hesitated, the celadon-haired huntress squeezing his hand.

"It's alright… don't rush those words." She leaned in, kissing his cheek. "I'll wait, Ozpin… till you're ready." She smiled, his face coloring even redder. But he leaned in and smiled, glad that she accepted it. She turned, pecking his cheek.

"Thank you… Marci."

* * *

That afternoon, Marcelle heard a knock at her door while she looked over documents that Alder had brought her about the attack on Beacon. "Come in." she looked up, seeing a fellow greenette with glasses and a few students at the door. "Oh, Professor Oobleck." She smiled, the man flying past the students and to her side with a bag tied closed with a ribbon.

"Marcelle, so glad to see you awake. I can't stay long but the students insisted upon thanking you." He shook her hand after putting the bag down on her side table. "So I escorted them here before I must run off to talk to the headmaster about the reconstruction efforts your team mates are spearheading. Among… other things." He pat her head carefully.

"Yes, sir." She smiled. "Don't let me keep you." She added, Oobleck dashing off as the students entered the room. There were 6, and she assumed a few others waited outside the door. She recognized a few from the battle at the tower… Pyrrah Nikos… Jean Arc… Velvet Scarlatina, Coco Adel, Weiss Schnee… and a blackette with a tinge or red in her bangs… with silver eyes. "What brings you kids to see me?" she smiled.

"We wanted to thank you… for helping our teammates." Jean spoke up first, offering a basket full of goodies. "For helping save the school…"

"Any good huntress or huntsman would have done the same."

"But you went further." Ruby stated, moving to stand closer. "You weren't just killing Grimm out there… you were saving lives… if you hadn't come to help take out those Grimm…" she got this look on her face… she looked like she'd cry. "If you hadn't shown up, Yang might be…"

"I did not interfere in Miss Xiao Long's fight." Marcelle replied. "My partner did."

"The point is, you tipped the scale in our favor… as did your team. And on top of that, you got hurt more severely than most of us." Coco stated. "So, let us thank you." She added, Jean putting the basket on the side table for her. "I'm sure the teachers all want to thank you for helping us out."

"Haha… you drive a hard bargain, Miss Adel." Marcelle added. "But without all of you that victory would never have happened. So please, remember that." She smiled at them all.

* * *

Marcelle was joined for dinner by Noir, the blackette carrying some take out. "No Alder or Argris tonight?" she asked, Noir shaking his head and taking a silent seat next to his former leader. He opened the box, revealing burgers. "Hehe, our favorite." She smiled as he nodded, placing her box on her lap. "Thanks…"

"For what?" he asked, removing his mask to eat, his face making him look far younger than he was. And much more feminine.

"For the food of course."

"… You're implying for other things." He added, turning to her.

"I…" she sighed. "I know I pulled you away from important work… so… instead of apologizing like I would normally, I'm thanking you for coming." She said softly. "I know you and Argris were trying to fix his arm…"

"You can't still blame yourself for that, you know." He bit into his burger, letting her sit in silence for a moment. "Argris doesn't blame you… he never did." He glanced toward her with those orange orbs. He saw her staring down at her food. "He sees that bum arm of his as a way to make himself even stronger… so when it does get fixed, idiot thinks he'll be invincible." He ate some fries before continuing. "Plus, he uses it as a sympathy card to flirt with women."

"Pff, does he?" she laughed a little, Noir looking back at his meal as she began to eat. "That's a relief."

"It's actually pretty awful." Noir began recanting stories to her about how often his partner flirted with girls, making Marcelle laugh. As he ended a story, about to start another, there was a knock at the door. Noir stopped as it opened, pulling his mask back up.

"Oh, apologies for interrupting." Glynda walked in, carrying a blanket. "I came to drop this off, Marcelle." She placed it down on the girl's bed.

"A blanket?"

"Temperatures are set to drop tonight rather drastically." She replied. "Ozpin wanted to make sure you'd be warm."

"Haha, did he…?" she noticed a sharp look on Glynda's face that made her sure that she'd scolded Ozpin already for what had transpired in the hospital room. Glynda always knew. "I'll be sure to thank him later. Thanks, Glynda." She added, the woman nodding before heading out. Noir turned to his former leader, quirking an eyebrow.

"Was Argris right?" he asked.

"Perhaps… perhaps not." She replied, smiling. "Now, again… you guys were in Mistral when…"

* * *

The following afternoon, Marcelle was waking up from a nap when she heard talking. She opened her eyes, seeing Ozpin sitting next to her bed. "Ozpin…? What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up as the doctor put her charts down.

"Nothing, Marci." He smiled, the doctor signing something before turning to her.

"Miss Lune… you're fit for release." He stated, the girl's eyes widening. "Though I would greatly suggest you stay with someone so you can get help if necessary." He added.

"Wait… I'm… what?" she looked so confused. "I was told I'd be stuck in here for over two weeks… what's changed?" she asked, the doctor clearing his throat.

"Well… to put it simply… your injuries have up and vanished… though your body still feels the fatigue and some of the pain, the majority of any injury you suffered seems to be gone…" he added, explaining to her for a few moments before stopping. "I believe your semblance kickstarted the healing for you."

"I… see…" she looked down at her hands, a sour look crossing her face. Ozpin caught the expression before she masked it, thanking the doctor. Once he was gone, he pet her head. "Ozpin, no one died, did they?" she asked. "No one's hurt, right?"

"Not that we know of, no." he replied, petting her head. "But your healing that quickly makes me wonder what happened…" he added. "But for now, since you're being released from the hospital tomorrow, I believe we need to set you up with housing aside from the teachers dorm. I'd rather you be somewhere you can be watched over more closely."

"More closely than the campus?" she asked him. "But where?" she asked.

"Well…" he paused, taking a breath. "I'd like you to stay with me…"

"With…?" her cheeks began to color, the heat rising in her face. "B-but Ozpin, you're too busy! I-I'd get in the way!" she exclaimed, mildly panicked by the sudden offer.

"I have been told… that aside from overseeing the reconstruction efforts, I need to take a break." He stated. "So I have been told to stay home, and have everyone report in to me by phone and over video." He still held her hand, gripping it a little tighter. "So… please?" the desperation in his voice made Marcelle's heart shoot out of her chest. "For me, Marci? So I can at least keep you safe?"

"… Ozpin…" she sighed, leaning into his shoulder, cheeks still burning. "I… If you're sure you won't be bothered by my presence…" she wondered if there was more to it than that, but she didn't ask. Ozpin wanted to keep her close. She didn't mind that… so long as he was alright.

* * *

((It. Has. Begun.

...

Domestic Fluff starts next chapter.

-Winter Cheshire))


End file.
